Customer-inclusive systems and methods for updating retail product assortments

Abstract

Embodiments relate to customer-inclusive system for updating product assortments available at retail locations. In one embodiment, such a system comprises a buyer device configured to receive a customer request for a desired product to be included in a product assortment available at a desired retail location and comprising a user interface by which a buyer can enter an order to include the desired product in the product assortment available at the desired retail location; a plurality of retail locations, at least one of the plurality of retail locations being the desired retail location and having a first product assortment that is changed to a second product assortment as a result of the order entered by the buyer, the second product assortment including the desired product; and a customer notification module configured to provide a feedback communication related to at least one of the desired product or the desired retail location to a customer.

1 . A customer-inclusive system for updating product assortments available at retail locations, comprising:
 a buyer device configured to receive a customer request for a desired product to be included in a product assortment available at a desired retail location and comprising a user interface by which a buyer can enter an order to include the desired product in the product assortment available at the desired retail location;   a plurality of retail locations, at least one of the plurality of retail locations being the desired retail location and having a first product assortment that is changed to a second product assortment as a result of the order entered by the buyer, the second product assortment including the desired product; and   a customer notification module configured to provide a feedback communication related to at least one of the desired product or the desired retail location to a customer.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the customer notification module is accessible at one of the plurality of retail locations. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the plurality of retail locations being the desired retail location is configured to receive information about the second product assortment as a result of the order entered by the buyer via the user interface of the buyer device. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the feedback communication comprises information related to availability of the second product assortment. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the feedback communication comprises information related to a product complementary to the desired product. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the information related to a product complementary to the desired product comprises at least one of an availability of the complementary product; an existence of the complementary product; a coupon related to the complementary product; a use of the complementary product; a use of the complementary product related to the desired product; an origin of the complementary product; a previous purchaser of the complementary product; or a characteristic of at least one of the complementary product or the desired product. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a customer device communicatively coupled with the buyer device to send the customer request and with the customer notification system to receive the feedback communication. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the customer device comprises a user interface by which the customer can include information for the buyer about the desired product. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the information for the buyer about the desired product comprises at least one of a photo, a text note, barcode information, or a web link. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 7 , further comprising a retail system communicatively coupled with the customer device and the buyer device and configured to aggregate data from a plurality of customer devices and communicate information related to the aggregated data to the buyer device. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the customer device is configured to accept a customer vote related to at least one of the desired product, the first product assortment, the second product assortment, or one of the plurality of retail locations, and wherein the retail system is configured to aggregate votes from a plurality of customer devices and communicate information related to the aggregated votes to the buyer device. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the customer device comprises a user interface by which the customer can subscribe to receive information from at least one of the buyer, the desired retail location, the plurality of retail locations, or an entity associated with the plurality of retail locations. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the customer device comprises at least one of a computer, a laptop, a mobile phone, a smart phone, a smart watch, a tablet device, an electronic reading device, a kiosk, a television, a camera, an appliance, or an instant product ordering device. 
     
     
         14 . A customer-inclusive method of updating product assortments available at retail locations, comprising:
 receiving by a buyer device a customer request, formulated via a customer device, for a desired product to be included in a product assortment available at a desired retail location;   entering an order, via the buyer device, to include the desired product in the product assortment available at the desired retail location;   updating a first product assortment to a second product assortment at the desired retail location as a result of the entered order, the second product assortment including the desired product; and   providing a feedback communication to the customer device related to at least one of the desired product or the desired retail location.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising providing access for the customer device to a system by which the customer can formulate the customer request. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein providing access for the customer device further comprises providing access to a system by which the customer can provide at least one of an image, a text note, or a web link related to the desired product. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein providing access for the customer device further comprises providing access to a customer notification module by which the customer can subscribe to receive information from at least one of the desired retail location or an entity associated with the desired retail location. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 receiving electronic customer votes related to at least one of the desired product, the first product assortment, the second product assortment, or the desired retail location;   aggregating the electronic customer votes; and   communicating information related to the aggregated electronic customer votes to the buyer device of a buyer associated with the desired product or the desired retail location.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein providing a feedback communication to the customer device further comprises providing information related to a product complementary to the desired product. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein providing information related to a product complementary to the desired product comprises providing at least one of an availability of the complementary product; an existence of the complementary product; a coupon related to the complementary product; a use of the complementary product; a use of the complementary product related to the desired product; an origin of the complementary product; a previous purchaser of the complementary product; or a characteristic of at least one of the complementary product or the desired product. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 filtering received customer requests; and   communicating information related to the filtered customer requests to the buyer device of a buyer associated with the desired product or the desired retail location.